Tag Archives: CIA-tapes

The Bankgkok Post reported Thai authorities have long known of the existence of a prison in their nation which has been used to subject prisoners to waterboard torture. They were aware American agents took prisoners captured in Afghanistan or Pakistan to secret hideaways in Thailand where the suspects were tortured. The CIA has continually denied there was a base or facility in Thailand where interrogation of prisoners took place. “Foreign sources have told the Bangkok Post that the denials were technically correct.” The CIA, like others in the Bush administration, are excellent at using “technicalities” to cover up abuse.

Sources in Thailand confirmed to the Bangkok Post the following interrogations:

Abu Zubaida, captured on March 28, 2002, was brought to Thailand where the interrogation took place in a wharehouse. He was subjected to waterboarding and after 0.31 seconds begged for mercy and agreed to cooperate.
Khaled Sheikh Mohammed was captured in Pakistan on September 11, 2002. He was actively involved in planning the suicide bomb attacks on September 11, 2001. Within two seconds after being waterboarded, he confessed and agreed to cooperate.
Ramzi bin-al-Shibh, another 9/11 planner was captured in Pakistan. it is uncertain what happened during his interrogation.

According to the Washington Post, in 2005, the retiring CIA station chief in Bangkok asked permission to destroy videotapes because he was leaving. Jose A. Rodriguez, then the CIA’s director of clandestine operations, allowed tapes to be destroyed despite warnings from CIA and White House officials to avoid such action.

Supporters of torture will point to confessions and cooperation due to waterboarding. They ignore the possibility such cooperation could have been attained by employing standard operating procedures for interrogation of prisoners. No bomb was ready to go off, there was sufficient time to employ methods that have worked in other wars. The destruction of the tapes despite alleged orders from the White House not to employ such action speaks volumes about leadership in the Bush administration.